Log-controlling mechanism



March 31, 1925.

J. T. AHRENS LOG CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed March 22.

1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lwentor.

Chrome March 31. 1925.

J. T. AHRENS LOG CONTROLLING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22. 1924 Chrome III Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOHN T. AHRENS, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

LOG-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Application filed March 22, 1924. Serial No. vol-n03.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Ai-rnnNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in Spokane County, and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Log-Controlling Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in log controlling mechanism for use in saw mills at the rear end of a splitting saw mechanism and designed for the pur pose of separating and turning the split halves or sections of a log and depositing the sections with their plane flat faces in. contact with horizontal and transversely arranged conveyer rollers. mills the logs encountered are of such great size that it is necessary to first split the log into longitudinal halves or sections as a preliminary step before sawing and resawing the timber into lumber of various shapes. The kerf in the log is cut by a vertically arranged rotary splitting saw and ity is now the custom in such saw mills to employ men with cant hooks to manipulate and turn the half-logs through an arc of 90- degrees thus bringing their flat faces from ave'rtical to a horizontal position for conveying the sections to the next sawing machine. The performance of this manual labor is accompanied by great danger to the sawyer or hook-man, and the primary ob ject of my invention is the provision of mechanical means for automatically turning the log sections as they leave the splitting saw, which means eliminates the danger above noted, saves time and labor, and there'- by results in reduced cost and enhanced quantity of production of the saw-mill.

The invention consists in certain novel con'ibinations and arrangements of parts embodying a vertically movable carriage, a fixed guide plate, and the conveying rollers, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accord with the best mode I have thus far dovised for the practical application of the principles of my invention. 1

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine embodying my invention showing its relation to the rotary splitting saw, and

In many sawby the log sections as they are turned with 111611 fiat faces from vertical to horizontal position.

At the right in Figs. land 2 a vertically arranged rotary saw 1 is illustrated for splitting the logs which are fed thereto and carried past thesaw as indicated in dotted lines, a spur chain 2 being shown as passing overa sprocket wheel 3 for feeding the D The arbor l of the standard form of splitting saw. 1s ournaled 1n bearings in the main frame 5, and the belt 6 and pulley 7' areemployed to rotate the splitting sawin so the direction of the arrow inFigure 1.

After leavmg'the sphtting saw the halves or sectlons of the log are delivered to a vertically movable carriage inoludingtwo sets of opposed conical rollers 8 and 9, three of which rollers are illustrated to each set,but

this number of course may be Varied. The two series of opposed rollers are spaced in pairs to form a trough for the reception of the split log. and the tapering faces of the rollers are fashioned withradially extending ribs 10 for engagement with the log in moving and supporting its sections.

The pairs of rollers forming this trough are rotatable with their transverse support ing shafts 11 which are journaled near their ends in bearings 12 carried by the upright below tliepiston 17 therein, and the piston rod 18 of-the piston is pivoted at 19 to the cross head, and of course; it will be understood that by withdrawingthe motive fluid pressure from the cylinder beneath the pis-' ton the carriage with the rollers forming the trough for the split log will be lowered trough 'for'receiving the split log-are power driven and each shaft 11 of these pairs of rollers is provided with a sprocket wheel 22 and chain 23, the latterfextending downwardly along the outer side of the carriage, and passing around a driving sprocket wheel 24 on the transverse shafts25 which are journaled in bearings 26 at the lower end of the vertically movable carriage.

These three shafts 25 each have a bevel gear 27'wl1ich meshes with a complementary gear 28 on the longitudinally extending gear shaft 29 journaled in bearings 30. and extending alongside the carriage.

The carriage with its tapered rollers forming the trough are elevated and lowered intermittentlyand timed with the splitting of the successive logs, and it is desirable that the rollers be revolved only during the period while the split log is passing into the trough. Accordingly the power shaft 11 I of the roller drive is provided with a friction wheel 31 driven" by contact with a pulley 32 on the swinging shaft 33. This shaft is journaled in swinging hangers 34 which are pivoted at 35 to a fixed support under the floor or platform 21 and a drive pulley 36 on the shaft 33 is turned by the belt 37 driven from a suitable source.- A pair of springs 38 interposed bet-ween the floor and hangersare used to depress'the pivoted shaft hangers and hold the friction pulley in contact with the wheel 31.

In Figure 1 the carriage is; in elevated position and the rollers 8 and. 9 of the trough are being revolved in the direction of the arrows in Figure .1. A fixed stop member 39 is located below the shaft hanger 34 to intercept its movement as the car riage descends, and thus the friction drive disengaged and power withdrawn from' the rollers '8 and 9 when the carriage is lowered and the tapered rollers withdrawn from their support of the log sections.

In the main frame 5 above the trough and located between the two series of rollers its opposite end the guide plate is supported from below by an upright 46 rising from the main frame 5,

As the guide plate is alined with the splitting saw and with the kerf cut in the log, it will be seen that the approaching split sections at the log a divided an 'erarated.

on the log sections.

by the centrally arranged guide plate, one section passing along each side of the long1 tudinally disposed guide plate. As the split log passes from the splitting saw, its sections are received in and supported by the trough formed of the rollers 8 and 9, and

the trough remains in elevated position until the sawing operation is completed, as indicated in Figure 3.

By means of properly timed mechanism or by means of manual control pressure is withdrawn from the interior of the cylinder 16 and the carriage is permitted to descend, which movement sh fts the weight of the two log sections from the trough to the lers 47. As the log sections descend they are each turned through an arc of. ninety degrees, and this turning movement of the sections is accomplished by the sliding movement of'the lower edges of the respec tive sections over the concave faces 41 and 42 of the guide plate, these lower edges being guided outwardly from the plate in this sliding movement. As the lower edge of the log section slides outwardly, the

upper edge of the section turns inwardly,

due to the 'CO2LCtlOIl ofthe' descending tapered rollers 8 and 9 and the concave guide plates 41 and 42. Each section is thus turned on its longitudinal axis through an arc of ninetydegrees and this turning movea vertical plane and preventing them from.'

outward lateral movement. 7

The notched disks are ournaled in beams thatare pivoted on cross bars 44 and .44- at opposite ends of the guide plate and counterweights 51 are carried by these arms to adjust the bearing pressure of the weights In Figure 4 the turning movement ofthe log sections on their axes is graphically illustratedby dotted lines, and as described the log sections are turned to bring their flat faces from a vertical plane to a. horiontal. plane withthe flat face resting on the These ll'illlfi spaced conveyor rollers: 47. versely arranged rollers are spaced apart, some of them alternating with the tapered rollers 8 and 9, and the shafts 52 of the rollers 47 are journalled-in bearings 53 of the main frame. I

The conveyer rollers are driven from a power belt 54 and pulley 55 on the extended shaft 52, and bevel'gea-r couples 56' on the shafts 52 and the longitudinal shaft 57 transmit power to the roller shafts. After the log sections have be n turned and dep ted spaced, transversely-arranged conveyer rolon the conveyer rollers 47 the two sections now in parallel position are conveyed toward the next sawing machine properly adjusted for feed to the respective saws.

The guide blade or plate it will be noted is of the same approximate thickness as the splitting saw to permit the kerf of the split log to pass freely along the opposite sides of the guide plate, and the radial ribs 011 the tapered rollers 8 and 9 carry the split sections from the saw 1. During the proc ess of splitting the log is directly supported by the trough formed of the rollers 8 and 9 and the carriage remains elevated until the split log has passed from the saw 1.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The combination with a vertically depressible trough and a longitudinal conveyer for split log sections as described, of means for separating the longitudinally moving sections in said trough, and means for turning the respective sections on their longitudinal axes.

2. The combination with a vertically movable carriage and two series of tapered rollers arranged in pairs to form a trough supported in said carriage, of conveying means adapted to move log sections transversely of the rollers, means for separating log sections while moving through said trough, and means co-acting with said trough as it descends and said conveyer for turning the respective sections on their longitudinal axes.

3. The combination with a depressible carriage having two series of rollers journaled therein and arranged in pairs to form a trough for the reception of a pair of divided log sections and means for separating said sections, of means for turning said sections on their respective longitudinal axes, and a conveyer moving transversely of said rollers to receive the turned sections.

i. The combination with depressible carriage of two series of spaced rollers arranged in pairs to form a trough for the reception of a split log, of means for separating the sections of the split log, and means for turning said sections on their longitudinal axes.

The combination with a vertically depressible trough adapted to receive two parallel sections of a split log, of centrally disposed means for separating said sect-ions, and means for turning said sections on their longitudinal axes.

6. The combination with a depressible conveyer trough adapted to receive two sections of a split log, of a centrally disposed guide plate above the conveyer trough for separating said sections, and outwardly flaring guide plates rigid with said guide plate for co-action with the trough in turnmg said sections on their longitudinal axes. 7 The combination with a depressible conveyer trough adapted to receive two sections of a split log and a centrally disposed relatively fixed guide member, of lateral guide plates on said guide member adapted to co-act with said conveyer trough when it is depressed for turning said sections on their longitudinal axes.

8. The combination with a depressible conveyer trough and a horizontally moving conveyer, of a fixed member'for separating the two sections of a split log,'and lateral guide plates 011 said member, for co-action with said conveyer trough whereby the sections are turned on their longitudinal axes and deposited on the horizontally moving conveyer. v

9. The combination with a vertically movable carriage and means for elevating it, of two series 'of spaced rollers "arranged in pairs to form a trough for the reception of sections of a split log, a fixed member for separating said sections, outwardly flaring guide plates on said member for co-action with said rollers as they are depressed to turn said sections on their longitudinal axes, and a conveyer moving in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said sections for receiving them as the rollers are depressed.

10. The combination with a depressible carriage and two series of spaced rollers arranged in pairs to form a trough for the reception of sections of a split log, of a centrally disposed fixed guide member adapted to separate said sections, outwardly extending concaved lateral plates on said member coacting with said rollers when they are depressed for turningthe sections on their longitudinal axes, and a roller conveyer adapted to receive the turned sections when the trough is depressed.

11. The combination with two series of tapered rollers formed in pairs adapted to receive sections of a split log and means for lowering said rollers, of a fixed member for separating said sections, lateral curved plates on said member for turning said sections when. the rollers are depressed, and counterbalanced weights adapted to bear on said sections as auxiliary means for turning them.

J. T. xnnnns, 

